People Will Spend Thousands On Your Photography, If …

by

My typical morning starts out getting up early, and reviewing my social accounts. I also head over to my Google Reader, and check out new posts on some of my favorite blogs.

Right now I have over 200 feeds into my Reader. Yep, a lot, and I don’t look at all of them every day. Instead, I have categorized the blogs, and I usually head to a category, depending on what I feel like that day.

Today I visited a blog I hadn’t been to in awhile – Ramit Sethi’s I Will Teach You To Be Rich. He always has a wealth of information, a lot of great ideas, and many things that will make you think. I started reading his post 5 fascinating perspectives on money, and loved the different articles and links. But one really caught my eye – his link to an article about lavish spending by blogger Jesse Mecham.

In it he talks about spending $9 on a bag of chips, and loving them so much he’d be willing to spend $20 or more on them too. Sounds a bit extreme, right? Until you read his lesson:

Spend lavishly on the things you love, and cut costs mercilessly on the things you don’t.

Great advice. Yet very difficult. Most people don’t think about what they spend, and make the distinction so they can cut where they need to, and still save money overall.

As I read further, another paragraph caught my eye.

I’m remembering the example Ramit gave about having a newborn baby where you’re picking between two photographers. One takes pictures of everything (and does a great job). But this other photographer, his whole site has great pictures of newborns. Every single line of copy on his site talks about photographing newborns — about the different nuances taken into account…all of the details he mentions (that you didn’t know you cared about until now)…

The specialized photographer makes the sale nine out of ten times. And you know that’s true!

So…with the photographer pricing for people that know they really, really want his service. Or for the bag of chips that is remarkably delicious… doesn’t price become basically moot?

Yep. Every time. Whether it’s a great economy, and money is flowing freely. Or we’re in a deep recession, and every topic in the news is on cutting spending.

We find what we love, and we’re willing to spend anything on it … if we feel it’s worth it.

So as a photographer, your goal isn’t to shoot like everyone else, present like everyone else, and charge like everyone else.

Your job as a photographer is to find your niche. Find what you love, and do it so well people start talking about you. They can’t believe what you cost, but you must be worth it because so many people trust you and use your services. They save for you. They splurge on you. And they talk about you to everyone in their circle of friends and family.

We're the co-founders of VirtualPhotographyStudio.com and have been writing on this blog since 2004. We started Virtual as a way to help photographers stretch beyond a part time income, and develop strategies to become a Five Figure Photographer or a Six Figure Photographer. Ultimately its all about lifestyle, and if your goal is to live as a photographer 24/7, we think you should have the knowledge and the tools to do so. Welcome!

1. Don’t buy Crap.
2. Definitely NEVER, EVER buy a new car. EVER. I buy mine from dealers who take in leased vehicles, and pay thousands less as other schmucks “had” to have a new car, paid on average 14% for that “privilege”. Stupd people. Love them. LOL HA!
3. NO DEBT. Zero. Don’t even own a gas credit card. Debit cards, and AMEX (GREEN, Basic Card) Paid in full each month. No Mastercard, No Visa. No Problems. Don’t believe in 90 days same as cash — it’s not. Don’t believe in financing — pay all my cars in cash. Yes, it’s hard at first but it gets easier. see #2 above.
4. Watch the outflows. Watch the inflows. Make sure they match up $ wise, or percentage wise.
5. having over 4k shared in Apple, (bought between 1987 and 2000) and a poop load in other companies doesn’t hurt either 😉

I am just starting out & am really having a hard time wrapping my mind around niche-ing myself. I see the purpose & potential in it, but I also see the potential to figure out a way to brand myself more & have to niche myself less. My husband and I are getting ready to move back to LA in a few months & I have this idea of being a “lifestyle photographer” including head shots & profile/lifestyle photography, with senior portrait campaign every year. I guess my question is, will this be niched enough? Can I brand myself & my photography so that I can slightly expand my niche?

Yes, you really are talking about a niche here. According to the sentence or two you have here, lifestyle for you will be portraiture, including head shots and seniors. From there, you will continue to niche over time. So for seniors, what kind of seniors are you looking for – general, high end, from specific schools, etc. The key here is imagining one specific client. Who are they? What do they look like? What do they like? Where do they hang out? If you can define that one client, there will be many more just like them.

Virtual Photography Studio Newsletter

Facebook Fan Page

Our Sponsors

Write For Virtual

Want to see your name and your photography on Virtual Photography Studio?
Our goal is to help the amateur photographer begin making money, and help the professional photographer grow into a Six Figure income level, all by becoming better at the business side of photography.
Do you have … [Read More...]